franchise tag usage

[Guiness]

I see a lot more players getting the franchise tag this season.

I'm not +ve how it works, but I think franchise players get a base salary only? I'm guessing this is some team's way of hedging their bets...no season next year, they don't pay these players.

So far this year, there are 8 tagged players. Lamarr Woodley, Logan Mankins, Michael Vick, David Harris, Vincent Jackson, Haloti Ngata, Peyton Manning, Tamba Hali

And probably more to come. All of last year there were 5.

[Lurker64]

There are two kinds of franchise tag: exclusive, and non-exclusive. An exclusive franchise player receives the average of the top 5 salaries for this season at his position or 120% of his previous year's salary whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player receives the average of the top 5 salaries from last season at his position or 120% of his previous year's salary. All of this money is guaranteed once a player signs his franchise tender, but until a player signs his franchise tender the tag can be retracted at any point at which point the player would become a free agent as normal.

[Guiness]

There are two kinds of franchise tag: exclusive, and non-exclusive. An exclusive franchise player receives the average of the top 5 salaries for this season at his position or 120% of his previous year's salary whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player receives the average of the top 5 salaries from last season at his position or 120% of his previous year's salary. All of this money is guaranteed once a player signs his franchise tender, but until a player signs his franchise tender the tag can be retracted at any point at which point the player would become a free agent as normal.

Guaranteed is a funny word...my experience with them has generally been pretty poor.

My question would be,when is the money paid out? Game day cheques would be my guess. Which means no signing bonus. CBA expires, tag doesn't have any meaning without it, the guarantee is gone.

[channtheman]

How much time did you save typing "+ve" versus "positive"?

[Lurker64]

Guaranteed is a funny word...my experience with them has generally been pretty poor.

My question would be,when is the money paid out? Game day cheques would be my guess. Which means no signing bonus. CBA expires, tag doesn't have any meaning without it, the guarantee is gone.

Well, the franchise tag doesn't actually mean anything after the CBA expires. The league is just working on the assumption that there will continue to be a franchise tag in the new CBA, which is a better assumption than the alternative since the franchise tag has to be applied before the start of the league year. I assume it's paid out in game checks as well.

[Guiness]

How much time did you save typing "+ve" versus "positive"?

dunno. More time that someone saves by typing 'u' instead of 'you'

Left over habit from note taking at lectures I guess. Most of my improvised short hand doesn't translate well to the keyboard, but that one has stayed with me.

[Guiness]

Well, the franchise tag doesn't actually mean anything after the CBA expires. The league is just working on the assumption that there will continue to be a franchise tag in the new CBA, which is a better assumption than the alternative since the franchise tag has to be applied before the start of the league year. I assume it's paid out in game checks as well.

Exactly, which is why I think the teams are applying it without discretion. Puts the players in limbo, and sort of keeps them property of the team, without it costing the team anything.

Could a player sign his offer before March 4th?

[Lurker64]

Exactly, which is why I think the teams are applying it without discretion. Puts the players in limbo, and sort of keeps them property of the team, without it costing the team anything.

Could a player sign his offer before March 4th?

A player can sign his franchise tender at any point after the player is tagged. Any of the above tagged players can sign it this afternoon if they want to.

[Smidgeon]

Exactly, which is why I think the teams are applying it without discretion. Puts the players in limbo, and sort of keeps them property of the team, without it costing the team anything.

Could a player sign his offer before March 4th?

It doesn't really put the player in limbo. If the franchise tag doesn't come back, it was a wasted motion. So the CBA isn't affecting anything. If the rules are the same as in the past, the player is treated the same as if in the past. If the rules are new, it's a wasted gesture (since Free Agency can't begin anyway without a new deal).

[sharpe1027]

An exclusive franchise player receives the average of the top 5 salaries for this season.

Since all franchise players would necessarily have a salary that is in the top 5, doesn't this present a positive feedback problem?

[Guiness]

Since all franchise players would necessarily have a salary that is in the top 5, doesn't this present a positive feedback problem?

top 5 salaries from the previous season, iirc. The number is set (about now actually) before the start of the FA season.

[Smidgeon]

top 5 salaries from the previous season, iirc. The number is set (about now actually) before the start of the FA season.

I think the exclusive franchise tag uses current year.

[Guiness]

I think the exclusive franchise tag uses current year.

Wikipedia says you're right -

An "exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply,

Not sure how that works wrt what Sharpe brought up - +ve feedback whereby the franchise tagged players salaries cause the average to go up, causing their salaries to increase...causing the average to go up! I would guess that the number picked in April sets the tag salaries for the coming year, so they aren't included in the averge.

[Guiness]

Another article on this

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81e3cc63/article/application-of-franchise-tag-could-prove-to-be-merely-symbolic